Practice
by CrimsonJoy
Summary: Juliette's late night worrying is keeping Shelby awake, and she soon reaches the point where she'd do anything for sleep. She's just lucky she knows exactly how to help Juliette. Slight AU, set just before Scott. Go to my Tumblr for more of this pairing.


Shelby knew the moment she came out of the bathroom that something was wrong.

Everyone was exhausted after their three day hike up some mountain that her tired mind couldn't even recall properly (all she remembered was rocks and grass, and maybe a tree or two) and Kat was slumped on her bed, fighting to keep her eyes open while she unpacked her bag, but Shelby could see her start to give up.

But they wasn't what was wrong. The only remaining individual was what was wrong. Juliette sat on her bed, her eyes wide, yet also drooping somehow, and her legs crossed in an Indian style. Worry rolled off her in waves and it was distracting.

Though Shelby had only been at Horizon a few weeks, she was pretty sure she had a good idea of who Juliette was. It wasn't exactly rocket science to spot the rich bulimic- you could do it in any school in a heartbeat. That it happened to be Horizon, the school full of messed up teens, just made it easier to clue in.

So Juliette; rich, good looking, skinny (by default, but Shelby suspected she could never really be heavy), spoiled rotten… there was little more to tell in Shelby's eyes.

But here she was, formerly complaining about being ready to fall asleep on her feet, now curled up showing no signs of her previous words being true. Shelby didn't know what to make of it, so instead chose to ignore her and get changed for bed, her head pounding.

A quick glance over tot room showed Kat fast asleep, still in her t-shirt, but she had gotten into her pyjama bottoms. It was better than nothing. Smiling a little, Shelby slid her shirt and trousers off and, after a little search to find something to wear, climbed into bed with a content sound, only leaning over to turn her light off before closing her eyes.

It only took her five minutes to open her eyes again, almost violently somehow, and the sound of Juliette's obnoxiously heavy breathing. Shelby leaned up slightly, and there Juliette sat, same position, except she had leaned forward and placed her head in one hand to relax. "Juliette, go to sleep!"

Shelby's words were hissed out like a whiplash, and Juliette's eyes shot up to look at her, as if she had forgotten she was even there. "I can't sleep."

"Well try again." With a final sneer, Shelby fell back into her pillow, her eyes begging to close. But yet she couldn't sleep, and she knew exactly why. "Juliette turn your light off." Her tone was deadpan.

"No, I don't like the dark."

"Then go to sleep!"

"I can't sleep."

Shelby's groan of irritation seemed to echo through the room, and she could almost hear Juliette smile in triumph, but it was short lived and followed by a sigh. That's when Shelby knew she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon.

"Okay Queenie, I'll bite, what's wrong?" Juliette was quick to get up and arrive in front of Shelby, sitting on the empty bed beside hers so that she could look the blonde in the eye. _Stupid Horizon lessons... forcing me to look at people like I care, _Shelby thought with a groan.

Juliette was too energetic, Shelby didn't even want to look at her, bouncing her legs and playing with her hands, it was tiring to even watch. "Um… So Auggie told me he likes me."

Shelby nodded. "Great, good for you." Sarcasm dripped from her words but her companion ignored her. "Why did you feel the oh-so-desperate need to tell me this?"

Juliette almost smiled there, but didn't, instead running her tongue over her bottom lip in thought. "You're going to laugh at me," she murmured. "But… I've never kissed anyone before." She looked down at her hands in what could only be shame but Shelby in fact did laugh.

"What!?" the whisper-shout could have woken Kat if her sleep wasn't so deep. "But… you're you!" Shelby shook her head. "You're one of those girls aren't you? Show it off but don't give it up?"

Juliette frowned, but nodded. "I guess you could say that." She sighed again when Shelby continued to chuckle softly. "Stop, I'm actually worried about this!" she lowered her gaze, playing with a loose thread on the bedcovers. "I don't want to do it wrong." Her voice was quieter now, as if she didn't really want Shelby to hear, but needed to get it off her chest.

Shelby smiled. "What do you want me to do, break it down and teach you? Want me to go get a blackboard? Because it's too late in the night for that." Juliette grinned down at her.

"I don't need a blackboard, I need to just know how to do it and I thought you might help." she shrugged. "I didn't want to go to Kat, I don't know how she'd react." A thread had come loose from the duvet now, and she pulled on it roughly. "I don't even know if it'll go anywhere with Auggie, I've just got it in my head now that I should know how to do it at least, I'll need it."

Shelby almost wanted to scoff at the cocky tone Juliette came out with sometimes, but held it in because she wasn't joking, she was actually stressing hard about this. And for some reason, Shelby actually wanted to help. Maybe it was her softer side finally warming up, maybe it was her sleep deprivation, but either way, she was being nice.

A sudden thought stuck her and she smirked. "Okay, I have an idea. Close your eyes." Juliette gave her a furrowed eyebrow in response but did what was asked of her. Shelby smiled. A way to mess with Juliette that required almost no effort from her? Perfection.

Shelby never really cared for who she was with. As in cared at all, be that gender, personality… having real names… so this was nothing to her. Yet another simple way of jibing at Juliette. But for a second she actually stopped and looked at her, really looked at her this time.

She could see why all the guys seemed to take an interest in the brunette. She was everything that society had deemed attractive. Thin, with endlessly long legs, silky straight hair. She was actually quite beautiful… not that Shelby _cared_ or anything. All this was just to play with her a little, a nice fun way to get herself some sleep and maybe blackmail the taller girl later if needed.

Plus, she had been itching for something for a while, and not too many people here were willing to break the rules for some fun.

Juliette's eyelids were beginning to flutter, and Shelby knew she didn't have much time left before she opened them again. So without a moments more thought, with a quick glance to Katherine to make sure she still slept, she closed the gap between them.

Juliette had known it was coming of course. Though she seemed quite airheaded sometimes, she wasn't stupid, but she had begun to think Shelby had lost her nerve, so a quiet sound of surprise escaped her when she felt lips brush her own, which almost seemed to spur Shelby on.

Shelby leaned up in bed as Juliette moved to kneel on the floor. It almost made Shelby smile. Juliette, on her knees like _a peasant_? But she didn't. She had other things on her mind, the main one being Juliette's hands wandering down her waist. Long, slim fingers gripping her hips gently, carefully, like she would break under them... Juliette was nervous. Very nervous.

"Relax," Shelby broke them apart to speak, her hands brushing up and down Juliette's arms, "Its better when you're relaxed."

Juliette nodded, closing her eyes for a moment before reigniting the kiss herself this time. Shelby was thrown by her force all of a sudden. How could someone so bony even have the muscle to push her back? With a smirk playing on her lips, she pushed back against her, so she was flush against the brunette, almost in challenge.

Juliette's hands roamed her curves, and as she became more comfortable, Shelby only wanted to spook her more. Her arms reached up to wrap around Juliette's neck, almost by their own accord as Shelby slyly slid her tongue along Juliette's bottom lip, her ears straining to catch a little gasp it produced. That had gotten a reaction. "No… stop!" Juliette leaned back, almost sending Shelby toppling forward in her haste.

"What?" Shelby pulled herself back up onto the bed, leaning on her forearm to face the other girl.

Juliette paused. "I… I'm not ready for that. Not yet anyway." She looked down at her hands, once again playing with her fingers, like nothing had happened. She glanced back up at the blonde with a smile a moment later. "But thank you. For the practice I mean."

Shelby nodded back to her. "No problem, it's what I'm here for." To her own surprise, she winked up at Juliette, who had straightened to her full height already, brushing her hair back. The brunette blushed lightly and turned around to climb into her own bed, across the aisle.

"Goodnight Shelby."

"'Night Juliette."


End file.
